Associated Press | By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Thorny trade disputes over beef and bananas remain unresolved following Monday's talks involving President Clinton, French President Jacques Chirac, and a team of senior European Union officials.
Chirac led a delegation, including EU President Romano Prodi, to Washington for the 15th and final U.S.-EU summit with Clinton.
The European Union, a group of states promoting political, economic and social harmony, has set up trade barriers to U.S. beef produced with growth hormones and to bananas grown on American-run plantations in the Caribbean and South America.
The United States retaliated with $116.8 million in trade sanctions last year on a range of European goods imported into the United States.
"On bananas, there has been some closing of differences in the last several days," Gene Sperling, White House economic policy adviser, said Monday. "But there is no resolution at this point."
The banana issue could be resolved before the end of Clinton's administration, but Sperling wasn't optimistic, saying, "Obviously, for something that's gone on for so many years, I don't know if one would want to bet the house on it."
Ditto on the beef dispute, he said.
While no breakthroughs were announced on the trade issues, the United States and EU made a joint announcement on AIDS.
The statement calls on U.S. pharmaceutical companies to make drugs that fight AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases more affordable in poor countries. The statement also supports partnerships to increase the availability of vaccines, train health workers, provide AIDS test kits and reduce mother-child transmissions of AIDS, Sperling said.
There always will be disagreements over trade, Clinton told Chirac. But he said he expects the next U.S. administration to continue a positive relationship with Europe.
"Will there be trade disputes and other disputes? Of course there will. But that's natural," Clinton told reporters in the Oval Office, where he posed for photographs with Chirac.
"We're not worried about the survival of freedom here, we're not worried about the survival of our democracy, we're not worried about whether we share the same values," he said.
Chirac echoed his comments.
"I will say that I hope that this will be done in a spirit of universal solidarity," Chirac said. "And I have no doubt that our relations with the new American president will also be excellent."
On a not-so-positive note, Clinton sounded a warning to the EU regarding the Airbus. The United States believes that government-subsidized loans Airbus is receiving to make a new generation of commercial airlines violates World Trade Organization rules.
"The president in our meetings today underscored the necessity for European compliance with WTO rules," said U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky.Associated Press:
